Ok, so I am not picky about what I eat, I mean, within the range of things that I can eat (which means no beef, ox tails, and other weird sounding things), I don't usually bisect and dissect the concoctions presented in front of me. And one such cuisine that I find very simple yet beautifully complex is Japanese. Its full of texture and color and taste and I love how it all comes together in tiny specimens of circular delights.
Yesterday, while hunting for a place to eat after my doctor's appointment (trust me waiting for a doctor can make you really really hungry), I came across this little cubical space that had Japanese fonts all over it. I couldn't wait to get inside and try out their sushis. You know what they say - that the best food comes from "hole in the wall" type places. So, I ordered some edamame, kani salad, dragon roll, a boston roll (again, waiting makes you really really hungry people) and some green tea. I was super excited and I could almost hear my stomach growl with excitement.
Hmm, edamame were good (I mean, how could you go wrong with them), and so was the kani salad. The rolls were good except that when I was chewing on the boston roll, something crunched between my teeth a bit. I was surprised because usually Japanese food is the cleanest, and I've never had that experience below. I spit the hard stuff and noticed it was a shell or something. Eww... I am mad now. But, I decide to carry on because my stomach growls are not ceasing. I take another roll into my mouth and when I am chewing, another crunch. Now, I am really really mad. But, guess what? I don't say anything to the chef/host. I just don't! Not sure why, but I sit there tight lipped sipping on my green tea. Maybe its 2 'o' clock in the afternoon and I am just not in the mood to argue. Maybe I should give the chefs a little break because they are working non-stop on the take out orders that are buzzing in. But, then I was just sad that they got Japanese food wrong!
And, then all these questions start popping up in my head as I watch the waiter shout the order on the phone, the chefs sprinting from the kitchen to the sushi station with refills of things. Why do people compromise on quality? Why do they prefer quantity? Is it always about the money? If it is, then customers will always see through the business's "monetary" objective and will not be interested in their goods and services. Will they be comfortable with that? Then, how would they justify quantity when there are no buyers? See...its a self-feeding cycle, and therefore quality and value should be top priorities in any business in order to retain clients (you see, I am never going to that restaurant again).
Oh, but I still love Japanese food, and therefore I present to thee some awesome concoctions of this simple yet complex food that are out there...waiting for me to taste them :)
Yummm!!
{images courtesy: japanesefoodcatering.com}
